Public records

A sixth Wayne County teenager was arrested Monday by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and charged with five felony offenses in connection with vehicle break-ins in Fremont, Eureka and Rosewood.

Matthew Lavonne Brantley, 18, of Moye Road, Fremont, was charged with three counts of breaking and entering of a vehicle and one count each of larceny and possession of stolen goods. He also was charged with two misdemeanor counts of larceny.

Brantley

Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour said his investigation determined that Brantley had been involved with several others who already have been arrested. Property with a value of $2,075 was recovered and returned to the owners.

Brantley was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 secured bond.

Thieves broke into four businesses, stole about $7,500 in cash and $1,489 worth of property and inflicted an estimated $6,650 worth of damages, according to reports filed with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

*About $7,500 in cash was stolen between Sunday and Monday from an office at the American Legion hall at 2973 U.S. 117 South, deputies said. The thief had damaged the roof and the ceiling to get inside, then broke a door, damaged two game machines and ransacked the building, the report said. Damages were set at $4,450.

*Three handguns, two .38 caliber and one .45 caliber, were stolen between Nov. 30 and dawn today from the Neuse River Gun and Pawn Shop at 2339-C U.S. 117 South, deputies said. The firearms were valued at $889. Earlier today, deputies found a brick that had been thrown through a door, causing about $500 in damages.

*A cinderblock wall, a glass case, a sewer pipe and an electric fan were damaged Monday at the E-Z Mart convenience store at 2049 U.S. 117 South, deputies said. Thirty-five packs of fishing lures were stolen but recovered. Damages were put at $1,300.

*Two combination radios and compact disc players were stolen between Saturday and Monday from vehicles at Deacon Jones Kia at 2077 U.S. 70 West, deputies said. The property was valued at $600. The thief had smashed two windows to enter the vehicles, inflicting about $400 in damages.

Purse theft arrest

Whitfield

The theft of a purse, a checkbook and credit cards has been solved by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office with the arrest of a 38-year-old woman from Dudley.

Tracy Michelle Whitfield of Pine Hill Road was accused of stealing the purse in southern Wayne County, forging and passing checks and using the credit cards to buy items, Detective Sgt. Ray Brogden said.

Ms. Whitfield was charged with three felonies, forgery, uttering and financial transaction card fraud, and misdemeanor larceny. She was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 secured bond.

Teen charged

A teenager was arrested Monday by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and charged with firing a high-powered rifle into a home and a vehicle.

John William Bolton, 17, of Little Dove Drive, Pikeville, was accused of firing the weapon into a home off Faro Road and then at a vehicle that following him as the driver tried to get Bolton's license number, Detective Sgt. Mike Kabler said. No one was injured.

Bolton was charged with two felony counts of discharge of a firearm into occupied property and misdemeanor communicating threats. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 secured bond. Deputy Steve Howell assisted in the arrest.

Tillman was accused of using the Lowe's credit card of previous employer without authorization, Investigator Dwayne Dean said. Tillman was charged with four felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $4,500 secured bond.

Hired hand charged

A 46-year-old man who had been doing yard work for another man off and on for eight years was arrested Monday and charged with the theft of property from the boss' home near Eureka.

Robert Earl Bryant of Bynum Road, Stantonsburg, was charged with felony larceny. He was released from custody on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Bryant was accused of stealing property from David Green's home, Detective Sgt. Carl Lancaster said. Some property is expected to be returned. Stantonsburg police assisted in the investigation.

Investigations

Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:

*An undetermined amount of money was stolen between Sunday and Monday from a drink machine at Merry-Go-Round Child Care at 2206 N. William St., Goldsboro police said. The thief had inflicted about $1,500 in damage to the machine.

*A stove, a television, a DVD player, a video cassette recorder and a watch were stolen between Nov. 29 and Monday from a rental home in the 100 block of Grand Street, sheriff's deputies said. The property, owned by Robert Davy of Emerald Isle, was valued at $925.

*An estimated $2,000 worth of clothes and shoes was stolen between Saturday and Monday from a home in the 600 block of South Claiborne Street, police said. No sign of forced entry was reported at Melvin Hardy's home.